Small Business Urges Lawmakers: Oppose Innovation Act

Washington, D.C. – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill which stands to inhibit small-business innovation in the U.S. NSBA is urging lawmakers to oppose the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) due to the rushed process in bringing the bill to the floor, the lack of small-business input throughout the process and the inclusion of several provisions that create an undue or unfair burden on small, innovative firms.

“NSBA supports reasonable efforts to protect small businesses from unnecessary and unwarranted patent infringement actions,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Unfortunately, this bill goes far beyond what we believe is reasonable and will ultimately do more harm to small inventors than it does to reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits faced by small firms.”

The Innovation Act includes a number of provisions that desperately need revisions. Without such revisions, this bill will greatly expand the already high burden on individual inventors and legitimate small-business patentees, making it more difficult for them to grow their companies and raise much-needed capital.

Adding to NSBA’s concerns with the bill is the alarming rate at which this legislation has been shepherded to the floor, leaving little if any time for further discussion and analysis of its potential impact on America’s most dynamic and innovative sector, small businesses.

“Small firms produce five times as many patents per revenue dollar as large firms and cover more original and broader technologies than large patenting firms, yet our input has been largely ignored,” stated McCracken. “This is too important an issue for too important a sector of our economy to push forward without a more detailed analysis.”

Celebrating more than 75 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA’s 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation’s first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz.